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Oxfam report says "Even It Up: Time to End Extreme Inequality"

"Oxfam's report is a timely reminder that any real effort to end poverty has to confront the public policy choices that create and sustain inequality." — Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics.

Oxford, U.K. (30 Oct. 2014)—The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is welcoming a new report out of Oxfam International about the growing global problem of economic inequality.

Global problem

From Ghana to Germany, from Italy to Indonesia, and in Canada the gap between rich and poor is widening. In 2013, seven out of ten people lived in countries where economic inequality was worse then than it was 30 years ago. In 2014, Oxfam calculated that just 85 people owned as much wealth as the poorest half of humanity.

Extreme inequality corrupts politics and hinders economic growth.

It exacerbates gender inequality and causes a range of health and social problems. It stifles social mobility, keeping some families poor for generations, while others enjoy year after year of privilege. It fuels crime and even violent conflict. These corrosive consequences affect us all, but the impact is worse for the poorest people.

Causes of economic inequality examined

The report delves into the causes of the inequality crisis and looks at the concrete solutions that can overcome it. Drawing on case studies from around the world, the report demonstrates the impact that rising inequality is having on rich and poor countries alike and explores the different ways that people and governments are responding to it.

The world has woken up to the gap between the rich and the rest of us and people are already demanding a world that is fairer. This report supports a new Oxfam campaign to add to this growing movement to end extreme inequality and Even it Up.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE